Purpose of the Church

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)

What is the purpose of the church? This question has been debated for many years. While at seminary I noticed that the various schools within the seminary all had a different opinion about the purpose of the church.

The School of Theology taught that the primary purpose of the church was evangelism (missions, proclaim God's Word). The School of Religious Education taught that the primary purpose of the church was to disciple others. The School of Music taught that the primary purpose of the church was to worship God.

It would seem that these differing opinions would be grounds for disunity. But, in fact, they all are part of the same primary purpose of the church. Directing others to Jesus.

School of Music

Our worship exalts Jesus so that others can see Him, in our songs, in our words, and in our actions. When the people of Israel were being attacked by venomous snakes, God instructed Moses to make an image of a snake to place on a pole and place it among the camp. If a person was bitten by a snake they were told to look to the image and they would live.

This was done to symbolize what would happen when Jesus was placed on a cross. The world needed to look to Jesus and they would be saved. When we exalt Jesus, when we declare His glories, the world can see their way of salvation.

Why is worship so important to fulfilling God's desires for the church? We talk about the very thing we worship. If we worship football, we talk about football all of the time. We want others to love football the way we love football. We proclaim the greatness of football for all to hear. We celebrate football and we bow at the altar that is football, whether it is in the stands or the television in our living room. If we are worshipping God, we will want to talk about God.

School of Religious Education

Teaching and training others is at the very crux of the Great Commission. As you go...teach. God felt this was the most important thing to tell us in the moments just before he ascended into heaven, therefore, it must be the primary purpose of our churches...to teach.

Teaching is essential to spiritual growth. Daily devotions and daily prayer time are key if we want people to become more than simply casual Christians. Disciples make disciples and the kingdom of God grows. It takes that discipline to prepare our people to defend their faith and to have the knowledge they need to share Christ with others.

School of Theology

People need the Lord. We must tell others about Jesus. We must go into the world and let them know about a Savior who died for them. This is done by proclaiming the Word of God from our pulpits, on the mission field, in the streets, at work, at school, and anywhere God gives us the opportunity to tell others about Him.

One Purpose

So how can we combine these into one purpose? All of these purposes point to the same thing and they have an order of progression to accomplish that goal. Churches exist to elevate the name of Jesus, equip disciples, and engage the community with the message of Christ's transforming power.

When the people of God are worshipping in spirit and in truth because they love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength, they will desire to learn more about Jesus, and in turn will want to tell others about Jesus. The telling will be done through acts of kindness, ministries to the local  community, and missions to the world.

Just because a person's focus is on one specific area, does not mean that they are not part of the ultimate purpose of the church..We can come united to accomplish the purpose of the church when we worship, disciple, minister, fellowship, and proclaim.